


Half A Home

by Violet_Quaileggs



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Animal Death, Dog death, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 10:14:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15046673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violet_Quaileggs/pseuds/Violet_Quaileggs
Summary: Sumo died in his sleep as Hank and Connor had to deal with the loss of a loved one.





	Half A Home

The morning started out just like every other day, mist in the cold air as dew still remained on the leaves and overgrown grass in Hank's yard. (But Connor figured it was his yard as well since he had moved in all those years ago.

 

Turning his head, he found Hank inches away, still snoring away. The man had never been a morning person. Connor's system rebooted after his nightly 6-hour stasis as he removed Hank's arm from around his torso and got up. The other man groaned in his sleep at the loss of contact.

 

"Stay..." He slurred, face still half-buried in his pillow.

 

"I should take Sumo out for a walk, afterwards I'll make breakfast. Then would be a perfect time for you to get up, yes?"

 

Another string of grumbles before he heard "Don't need breakfast. Just walk 'im and get back to bed."

 

Connor smiled fondly. "Sure, Hank. I'll be back soon." He leaned over to plant a kiss on the older man's head before exiting their bedroom.

 

 

"Who wants to go for a walk?" He said into the apartment, knowing wherever the dog was, he would hear the magic words and come running. This time however, silence replied him. "Sumo?" He tried again.

 

He rounded the corner to the kitchen and found the dog curled into a ball, occupying a great space by the fridge. "Sumo?" Connor called again and he still didn't stir.

 

He knelt down by the beast, hands threaded through his fur and did a quick analysis.

 

_Heart_

_No pulse_

_Signs of cardiac arrest_

 

A profile appeared on his hud, displaying an image of the dog with a red banner saying "Deceased" at the bottom.

 

_Sumo_

_Height: 29 inches - Weight: 170 lbs_

_Estimated time of death: - 2:45am_

 

Connor figured that was why he didn't joined them in the bedroom last night. He read somewhere that pets usually knew when they were dying so as to hide from their owners and protect them from the heartache. Noble thing to do even in one's death, something Connor used to handle so carelessly when he was still a machine for CyberLife.

 

Connor smoothed his hand over Sumo's head once again as a heavy feeling settled in his chest. His eyes burned all of a sudden before tears slipped effortlessly from his eyes. The times he had cried since he became deviant could be counted on one hand. This time, it felt the most painful.

 

 

He sat by the corpse for several minutes, just silently weeping before he gathered himself and returned to the bedroom, his figurative heart low in his chest. This news was going to devastate Hank. He approached the man and shook him awake.

 

"What... You two are quick. Come on, get in here." Hank peeled back the sheets, waiting for Connor to join him again but the most important directive he had now was to inform him the bad news.

 

"Hank... Sumo is dead. He died earlier this morning." The quiet words jolted Hank awake as the older man sat up from their bed. A frown formed upon his face, not dissimilar from the one Connor was wearing as he finally took the words in.

 

"Fuck." Hank ran a hand down his face before gripping Connor's shoulder. Connor didn't know if that was to comfort him, or to comfort himself but he placed his own hand over the man's either way and gently squeezed. He had learned a lot about human interaction and especially intimacy living with these two, building a home. Now, one of the two had succumbed to old age while he hadn't age a single day. Seemed unfair, really.

 

They got out of bed together and Connor led Hank to the dog's resting place. Hank breathed out a shaky sigh as he wove his fingers into Sumo's fur. Connor heard him whisper quietly. "So long, buddy. We'll miss you."

 

He then stood and Connor could calculate the seconds it took for him to reach into the cabinet and pull out a drink. (5.3 seconds) Usually, Connor would berate him and pour the drink out despite the man's protest but today, Connor thought he should have at least one, and he trusted Hank to stop at just that. Connor sank to the floor again, hands instinctively reached out to pat the dog, only this time there was no response nor any licks to encourage his petting.

 

"What are we going to do with him?" He asked after a long while of necessary silence. He looked up to find Hank had already put away the glass, feeling proud that he really did only drink one.

 

"We can bury him in the backyard. Put up a cross or a tombstone from the planks in the garage. I can carve his name into it if you want." He suggested. The idea of honoring their companion with a proper burial and a tombstone sounded appropriate, so he nodded.

 

They grabbed the tools from the garage and headed to the backyard. Connor offered to do the digging since Hank's back had been, he quoted, "killing him" so Hank settled on making the tombstone. That job was done fairly quickly so he grabbed another shovel and help Connor dig anyway.

 

He chuckled dryly. "Nothing beats digging a grave in your pjs at seven thirty in the fucking morning." He said it with good humor but Connor knew of the pain underneath it. He could feel it as well. After they were done, they headed back inside and heaved the dog out. He was quite heavy and though Connor could pick him up himself, he wanted to let Hank help. Sumo was his dog first, after all.

 

They lowered him down the shallow hole and before Hank could pick up the shovel again, he asked. "Shouldn't we say a few words first?" He had attended enough funerals of their colleagues to understand the concept of eulogies. Hank gave him the go ahead.  

 

Connor could feel his LED blinking yellow for a few moments, looking for the right words to say. He finally found them as he let out a huff.

 

"Sumo, I would like to say, you have been a great dog. You were loyal. You were kind to me, to Hank. You were a _very good boy_." Connor cooed, imitating Hank's baby talk whenever he addressed the dog dearly. That got a chuckle out of the man and Connor felt a tinge of pride at that. He continued, "You kept us company when times were tough and when we needed a friend. And I especially want to thank you, Sumo." Connor saw in his periphery Hank jerking his head up as he said that.

 

"Thank you for taking care of Hank before I came around. You kept him alive, for himself,... for _me_ . Therefore, I am forever grateful to you. We will miss you dearly, Sumo."

 

Silence befell them, interrupted minutely by Hank's sniffling. "Would you like to say anything, Hank?" Connor prompted but the man just shook his head.

 

"You said all of my thoughts, kid. No use repeating them." He dismissed him then started shoveling dirt and fill the hole up. Connor decided not to push and started helping him as well. Soon, the grave was filled and Hank padded the shovel against the ground to pack the dirt. He shoved the wooden plate with Sumo's name on it into the ground at the top. They stood in silence again before Hank ushered him in. "Come on, we need a goddamn shower."

 

After they put the tools back, they headed for the bathroom. The dirt-ridden old shirt and boxers slipped from Hank’s form sluggishly as he stripped with great fatigue, not just physically. Connor also stripped and joined him in the shower.

 

They didn’t do any showering really, just stood in the warm stream, letting it wash the dirt from their bodies as they took in deep exhausting breaths. Hank was facing the shower, bearing his back to Connor as the android settled to just leaning against him. All of a sudden, he felt a deep rumble from the older man’s core and a trepidation in his shoulders. He heard a sob and decided not to keep still any longer.

 

He reached out and turned Hank towards him, his face was wet but a quick scan told him that not only the tap water was contributing to that. Connor was not indifferent, but rather calmly empathetic in a way that enable him to support the other man without falling apart himself. His hands cupped Hank’s scruffy jaw as he leaned into the touch, eyes squeezed more tears down his face.

 

“When I lost Cole, I…” He started but seemed to be choked back, so Connor swiped a thumb over his cheek, offering him the support he needed to continue. “I didn’t want to live. You saw it first hand… I didn’t give two shits about my life even when I had Sumo, you can imagine the fucking wreck I was when I was alone.”

 

A tear slipped from Connor’s eye, he resented not being manufactured sooner so as to help the man in his darkest moment, he entertained the unrealistic thought for just one moment before he returned his attention to Hank. Here, now, hurt, in front of him.

 

“But still, that dog kept me going. I toyed with the gun but I never really intended to pull the trigger…. I… I kept thinkin’ bout how lonely he would feel if I would just… leave.” Hank turned his face into Connor’s palm, eyes still sealed shut yet the leaking was incessant.

 

“He kept me alive until I found a new purpose… You ...” He opened them then, sad blue eyes bore into Connor’s soft brown ones. Two broken souls trying desperately to gauge the feeling they were experiencing and help each other deal with it. Connor would help Hank deal with this loss. Even if he couldn’t be there when Cole was gone, he could be here when Sumo was.

He wrapped his arms around Hank’s neck and guided him down to his chest. Their slight difference in height made it a bit inelegant but Hank reciprocated nonetheless. His arms wounded around Connor’s back and clutched at his bare synthetic skin, face burrowing closer to his chest.

 

From there on, there was just open sobs. Tears fell from Hank’s face down Connor’s body, blending with the stream of water and swirled down the drain. A few tears may have come from Connor as well.

 

 

He lost count how long they stood under that stream, just crying into each other’s arms. (Connor never lost count ). The dread and loss settled deep into their stomachs and those feelings seemed determined to stay. But Connor knew, they would get through this, just like how they’d get through many other things since they had met. As long as they got each other, they could still make a home out of any situation, even the seemingly worst ones.

**Author's Note:**

> I like to torture myself and others, can't you tell?


End file.
